DAS and OIT support troops
in Iraq, Kosovo
--DAS Office of Employee Services, January 2005

DAS and OIT employees contributed generously to support overseas U.S. troops during the holidays.

A total of $1,750 was collected from DAS and OIT employees for one of the two campaigns, which allowed for the purchase of phone cards for the 125 soldiers of the 660th Transportation Unit stationed in Camp Anaconda, Iraq.

The soldiers were very appreciative of the phone cards, which equated to about 45-minutes per soldier, and the messages of appreciation, according to Capt. Gary Holben, one of the coordinators of the campaign. Holben, fiscal manager for the GSD Office of Properties and Facilities, returned in April from Iraq after serving 12 months as commander of the 705th Transportation Unit. His unit was then replaced by the 660th Unit.

In addition, the OIT Service Delivery Division donated items for their co-worker Lt. Col. Don Barbee to give to soldiers in his unit who didn't receive other packages for Christmas. Items collected were hard candy, chocolates, lip balm, lotions, cookies, peanuts, baby wipes and can cozies.

Barbee, systems programmer supervisor for Enterprise Computing, is stationed in Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, where he is serving as deputy chief of staff for the 37th Brigade Combat Team of the National Guard